Hoisting and lifting crane



F. J. SCHMIDT HOISTING AND LIFTING CRANE Dec. 31, 1929,

Filed April 19, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet Dec. 31, 1929.

F. J. SCHMIDT HOISTING AND LIF'I'ING CRANE Filed April 19, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I W .M%a 3% Dec. 31, 1929. F. J. SCHMIDT 4 9 'HOISTING AND LIFTING CRANE Filed April 19, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet a pended claim.

Patented Dec. 31, 1929 unrrsn stares PATENT QFFEQE FRIEDRICH J. SCHMIDT, 0F AUBURN, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TQ BENDER HOIS'I MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A. CORPORATION OF NEBRASKA HOISTENG AND LIFTING CRANE Application filed April 19,

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a hoisting and lifting crane and more particularly'to a device of this character which is electrically operated and is more particularly adapted for loading and unloading automobiles in and out of railway box cars, the principal object of the inven tion residing in the provision of a crane, for the purpose described, which is relatively simple in character and of such a weight that it may be readily manipulated to be positioned upon the roof of a car.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of control means whereby the electric motor, used in operating the crane, may be readily started or stopped at the will of the operator.

With the above and other objects in view,

which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, as they now appear to me, it will be understood that such changes may be made as will fall within the scope of the ap- In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing my improved form of crane mounted upon the roof of a box car or the like and supporting an automobile body.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the crane positioned upon the roof of the boX car i with parts shown in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation.

Fig. 4 is a top plan.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental rear elevation.

Figs. 6 and 7 are side elevations and end views, respectively, showing in detail the switch construction; and

Fi 8 is a detail showing the manner of conn cting the brake band.

In the drawings A indicates a box car, B the crane supported on the roof thereof, and C an automobile body being hoisted by the crane.

My improved form of crane includes the I face of the base.

fastenings shown at 11.

mgs.

the lower ends of the standards being secured to the base by means of the rivets, bolts, or other suitable fastenings shown at 5. The upper ends of the standards 3 and 4 are directed inwardly as shown at 6 and secured to the upper ends of these inwardly directed portions is the channeled cap 7.

Secured to the raised portion 2 of the base 1 and extending upwardly therefrom at an angle, is the boom 8. The lower or bottom end of the boom is cut away to form the portion 9 which extends over the upper surface of the raised portion 2 and the vertical portion 10 which extends parallel with the outer The boom is secured to the base by means of the bolts or other suitable Secured to the upper end of the boom, by the bolts or other suitable fastenings 12, is the metal inverted U- shaped member 13 in which is rotatably I mounted the pulley 14. Pivotally connected to the member 18 is the member 15 to which is secured one end of a cable 18 as more partieularly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the draw- The cable carries the sheave 17 and passes around the pulley 14 from which it passes to and is wound upon a drum to be later described. Rods 18 connect the upper end of the standards 3 and 4 and the boom, one end of the rods being secured to the standards and the opposite end to the boom.

Secured to the standard 4 is the electric motor 19, this motor having the rotatable shaft 20 on the end of which is carried the pinion 21. The pinion 21 meshes with the gear 22 which is carried by the horizontal shaft 23 rotatably mounted in the bearings 24 secured ,to the standards 3 and 4. A pinion 25 is carried by the rotatable shaft 23, intermediate the standards 3 and 4, and meshes with a gear wound from the drum by operation of the motor 19.

The shaft from the motor 19 is used as a brake drum and the brake band 29 extends around the shaft and is adapted to be en gaged therewith for braking the motor. One end of the band is connected to the standard 4 as shown at 30 and the opposite end is connected at 31 to a bell crank lever 32 which is pivoted at 33 to a cross brace 34 mounted between the standards 3 and 4. A bell crank lever 35 is pivotally connected at 36 to the cross brace 34 and a rod 37 connects the arms of the bell crank levers 32 and 35 as more particularly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Leading from. the outer end of the bell crank lever 35 is a rod or cable38 by means of which the operator of the crane manipulates the brake band. This rod or cable 38 preferably leads to a position adjacent the ground in easy reach of the operator and when pulled the bell crank lever 35 swinging upon the pivot 36 will draw upon the rod 37 and swing the bell crank lever 32 on the pivot 33. This will tighten the brake band 29 around the shaft 20 and brake the motor.

The motor is controlled through means of a switch more particularly illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings. The switch includes a base 39 which is secured to the standard 3. Pivotally connected to the base is the blade member 40 which is adapted to be swung by the operator of the crane. Two pairs of contacts 41 and 42 are secured to the base, one pair being positioned adjacent each end of the base for engagement by the blade 40. When the blade is in engagement with the contacts 42 the motor will be operated in one direction and when swung into engagement with the contacts 41 will be operated in the opposite direction. For swinging the blade 40 I provide the crank shaft 43 which is rotatably mounted in the bearings 44 secured to the standard 3. One end of the crank shaft is secured at 45 to a blade 40 and the opposite end is connected by the universal joint 46 to the rod 47 which extends downwardly to a position adjacent the ground in easy reach of the operator. A handle 48 is formed on the lower end of the rod 47 and by grasping this handle the operator may rotate the crank shaft 43 and swing the blade 40 into engagement with either pair of contacts 41 or 42 which he may desire.

For supplying current to the motor 19 a battery 49 is shown mounted upon the roof of the car but it will be understood that this battery may be positioned at any point desired. Leading from the battery 49 to the motor is the connecting wire 50 and leading from the battery to the base 1 is the wire 51 forming a ground. Wires 52 extend from the mot-or to the switch. A further description or illustration of the circuits is thought to be unnecessary for it will be understood that they are well-known and the particular circuits form no part of the present invention.

In order to prevent the base 1 from sliding over the roof of the car I provide the arms 53 which extend downwardly from the base as more particularly illustrated in Fig. 3 and engage the outer edge of the roof. To prevent the crane from falling from the roof I provide the cable 54 which has its upper end secured at the top of the standards 3 and 4 and its opposite end anchored to the roof. De pending from the sheave 17 are the hook rods 55 which carry the cross beam 56. As shown more particularly in Fig. 1 of the drawings the cross beam 56 may be engaged beneath the top of an automobile body and the body raised and lowered or loaded in or unloaded from the car as desired.

From the above detail description it will be seen that I have provided a novel form of hoisting and lifting crane which, as previously stated is primarily intended for loading or unloading automobiles in or from railway box cars. The craneis of such a weight that it may be readily manipulated for positioning upon the roof of the box car and when so positioned maybe operated from the ground. I have also mounted the several parts of the crane as to make the same very compact in form and all parts are so simple as to make the crane relatively inexpensive in construction. The boom extends beyond the side of the car so that the automobile body may be swung as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The motor may be started by throwing the blade 40 of the switch and when the shaft 20 of the motor rotates it in turn rotates the pinion 21 which meshing with the gear 22 rotates the shaft 23 and the pinion 25 and the pinion 25 meshing with the gear 26 rotates the drum 27. By winding or unwinding the cable 16 from the drum the sheave 17 may be raised or lowered as desired. The motor is reversible and as previously stated when the blade 50 is in engagement with one pair of contacts the motor will be operated in one direction and when in engagement with the opposite pair of contacts will be rotated in the opposite direction. While the crane is positioned upon the car roof nevertheless the men engaged in loading or unloading the automobiles will be upon the ground so as to properly do their work without unnecessary labor and the operation of the switch may be done from the ground as well as the braking of the motor. When it is desired to brake the motor the rod or cable 38 is drawn downwardly to tighten the brake band 29 upon the shaft 20 in the manner previously described.

The boom is connected to the base in a novel manner and it will be noted that it does not swing relative to the base but is rigid therewith.

While I have described my invention as primarily intended for use in loading or unloading freight cars it will be understood that the same may equally as well be used for other purposes such as for towing in wrecked automobiles or for any other towin service. I also wish to lay emphasis on the fact that the motor used is of the type of the ordinary starter motor, and redesigned so as to make it reversible, and the current is furnished from ordinary automobile storage battery. Thus the parts used are relatively cheap and the entire device may be used, if desired, in rural districts where power transmission lines are not available and is of service in garages to service cars or may be used as a sc'afiold hoist for contractors or the like.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A crane of the character described adapted to be positioned upon or removed from a suitable support as a unitary structure including an elongated base adapted to extend longitudinally of the support, members connected to the base and depending therefrom to engage the support to prevent lateral movement of the base relative to the support, a standard secured to the base and extending upwardly therefrom, an upwardly and outwardly directed rigid boom having a forked lower end engageable with the base and secured thereto, a rod connecting the upper end of the standard with the upper end of the boom, a drum carried by the standard, a cable connected to and adapted to be wound upon the drum, the cable operating over the boom, and a motor carried by the standard and adapted to operate the drum.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

FRIEDRICH J. SCHMIDT. 

